What's missing from your city? - Page 5

kwoldtimer · #81 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 1:32 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Toronto was missing a grand fountain until three years ago when the existing fountain at Berczy Park was replaced by something bigger and more interesting to look at. Though it's still not that "grand".

I believe the major cities in Canada just below Toronto in population had impressive fountains before TO got one? And comparable cities in the US have had one for far longer.

Toronto had a couple of traditional (cast iron?) fountains that would qualify as "grand" that have long since come and gone. I would have thought of the Princess Margaret fountain at the CNE as "grand", in a modernist way.

megadude · #82 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 1:37 PM**

Couple questions for the rest of Canada.

Is there a major city that lacks an "official" or de facto official observation deck? As in a place that seeing the view of the city is the focus of the place or somewhere that is easily accessible? TO, OTT, CAL, VAN, MTL, NF have towers.

US cities I have done this or I planned to but was only open on weekdays so I missed out: NY, CHI, DET (Ren Cen aka GM), PHI (City Hall), PIT (Univ of Pitt), BUF (City Hall).

MTL has Mt. Royal as a natural look-out, plus The Big O and Place Ville Marie now, which I did not know about until very recently.

So what is there for EDM, WPG, HFX, etc?

Also, having a big city sign is all the rage now. Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston (with the I missing so you can stand in as the I) are the ones I know of. Makes you wonder how it wasn't a trend from decades ago. Which major cities don't have this? Or is this something that really isn't missing yet because it's not actually ubiquitous?

kwoldtimer · #83 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 1:44 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Couple questions for the rest of Canada.

Is there a major city that lacks an "official" or de facto official observation deck? As in a place that seeing the view of the city is the focus of the place or somewhere that is easily accessible? TO, OTT, CAL, VAN, MTL, NF have towers.

US cities I have done this or I planned to but was only open on weekdays so I missed out: NY, CHI, DET (Ren Cen aka GM), PHI (City Hall), PIT (Univ of Pitt), BUF (City Hall).

MTL has Mt. Royal as a natural look-out, plus The Big O and Place Ville Marie now, which I did not know about until very recently.

So what is there for EDM, WPG, HFX, etc?

Also, having a big city sign is all the rage now. Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston (with the I missing so you can stand in as the I) are the ones I know of. Makes you wonder how it wasn't a trend from decades ago. Which major cities don't have this? Or is this something that really isn't missing yet because it's not actually ubiquitous?

K-W (is that "major"?) has nothing, although you get a good view of DTK from "Mount Trashmore".

megadude · #84 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 1:46 PM**

Good point about old fountains and the one at CNE. Was totally off my radar. Maybe I'll revise my statement to say a touristy fountain. Should also add NF as having two touristy fountains, both at Fallsview. One inside and one outside, though the outside one is only cool because of the lights at night.

The grounds at the CNE are interesting and somewhat quirky. Seems like there's so much untapped potential for that spot and so it will often slip my mind. For instance, the Princes' Gates (which I initially typed as Princess Gates, proving my point to myself!) should be more a part of the iconography of Toronto than it is.

Anyway, I understand that the area is surely but slowly being developed/enhanced.

Acajack · #85 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 1:51 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Couple questions for the rest of Canada.

Is there a major city that lacks an "official" or de facto official observation deck? As in a place that seeing the view of the city is the focus of the place or somewhere that is easily accessible? TO, OTT, CAL, VAN, MTL, NF have towers.

US cities I have done this or I planned to but was only open on weekdays so I missed out: NY, CHI, DET (Ren Cen aka GM), PHI (City Hall), PIT (Univ of Pitt), BUF (City Hall).

MTL has Mt. Royal as a natural look-out, plus The Big O and Place Ville Marie now, which I did not know about until very recently.

So what is there for EDM, WPG, HFX, etc?

Also, having a big city sign is all the rage now. Toronto, Hamilton, Kingston (with the I missing so you can stand in as the I) are the ones I know of. Makes you wonder how it wasn't a trend from decades ago. Which major cities don't have this? Or is this something that really isn't missing yet because it's not actually ubiquitous?

Quebec City has this 31 storeys up: https://www.observatoire-capitale.com/en/

megadude · #86 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 1:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

K-W (is that "major"?) has nothing, although you get a good view of DTK from "Mount Trashmore".

Hadn't heard of this place till you mentioned it so I just looked it up. So the equivalent of Braeben golf course in Mississauga.

Hawrylyshyn · #87 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:01 PM**

In regards to observation:

Hamilton doesn't have a tower for it, but Sam Lawrence Park on the edge of the escarpment acts a a natural observation deck (see below). Unfortunately, the city feels the need to not let buildings be build higher than this which really limits our height..

https://hamiltonmusician.com/hamilto...ahead-in-2017/

megadude · #88 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Quebec City has this 31 storeys up: https://www.observatoire-capitale.com/en/

Dammit! Did not know about this place two years ago when I was last there. Unless this is new.

I do love seeing a nice view and always regret it when I miss out like a couple of the US ones I missed out on as mentioned above.

Two weeks ago I went to visit an office high up that I have been to a couple of times before that is located in the CBD and faces the lake. Great views of the South Core, TO Islands and the water. But this time it was totally blank. I thought they frosted the windows from the inside in this hallway to prevent random people from coming up for the view. Then I realized it was a rainy day and that was all fog. Visibility was completely wiped out that high up, which reminded me of my time in Central Park on a similar day and noticed that the top third of those new highrises along the park were completely enveloped in fog, thus eliminating their view.

megadude · #89 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:06 PM**

True. And I was just up on the Escarpment in Hamilton in April driving along and taking in the view. A nice natural observation point.

Martin Mtl · #90 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:12 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Berczy is pretty nice IMO. I am trying to think of one in Canada that's in the same class, except maybe for Tourny in front of the National Assembly in Quebec City.

There are some in Montreal that can qualify I think...

Place Jean-Paul Riopelle.

This fountain was made by famous Quebec artist Jean-Paul Riopelle for the 1976 Olympic. It was move from the Olympic stadium to the new Jean-Paul Riopelle square in front of the Palais des congrès. The fountain has a mix of water, fog and fire. The ring fire is up every hour on the hour for a few minutes.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/hussei...-779tBD-2enmu8

https://www.flickr.com/photos/indyda...-8ywsbL-9PakZh

https://www.flickr.com/photos/620617...-ayrp2A-6PwPcB

Place des Festivals (Quartier des spectacles)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/quarti...-6ujqUN-6ufdcH

https://www.flickr.com/photos/quarti...in/dateposted/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/quarti...n/photostream/

Marché Maisonneuve. Fountain designed by artist Alfred Laliberté. Build in 1912.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/thepre...s-a9LaZq-4bLaf

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mapoir...c-5CEDCC-7EJaG

https://www.flickr.com/photos/etriveur/7683673642/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/819107...-sk6yM2-bWwRUr

Claude Cormier, who designed the fountain in Toronto, is also designing this iron victorian pastiche being build right now in Square Dorchester.

Acajack · #91 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Dammit! Did not know about this place two years ago when I was last there. Unless this is new.

.

Nope. It's been there for several decades at least.

esquire · #92 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 2:38 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Couple questions for the rest of Canada.

Is there a major city that lacks an "official" or de facto official observation deck? As in a place that seeing the view of the city is the focus of the place or somewhere that is easily accessible? TO, OTT, CAL, VAN, MTL, NF have towers.

US cities I have done this or I planned to but was only open on weekdays so I missed out: NY, CHI, DET (Ren Cen aka GM), PHI (City Hall), PIT (Univ of Pitt), BUF (City Hall).

MTL has Mt. Royal as a natural look-out, plus The Big O and Place Ville Marie now, which I did not know about until very recently.

So what is there for EDM, WPG, HFX, etc?

When I was a kid, an observation tower is something I would have wanted more than just about anything else as far as civic amenities go

Winnipeg obviously does not have a CN Tower-type observation deck. For a decade or so after it was built, the Richardson Building (former tallest) had an observation deck which as I understand it, was Richardson offices made available to the public after hours or something along those lines.

The closest thing we have to a public observation tower is Fort Garry Place, which has a revolving restaurant on top. You can ride the glass elevator to the top without having to go into the restaurant. It isn't the tallest building in the city but the views of the downtown area and St. Boniface are decent.

I'm guessing the old-school CN Tower type TV towers are a thing of the past? I'm not sure any have been built in Canada since the CN Tower, and that was over 40 years ago...

Acajack · #93 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 3:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Mtl

There are some in Montreal that can qualify I think...

Nice ones!

Andy6 · #94 Posted **Oct 19, 2018, 4:37 PM**

Toronto definitely lacks a substantial downtown park. All told, what the city has in the way of parks and gardens probably adds up to a lot, but it’s all peripheral. It always disappointed me that even Queen’s Park, which isn’t very big to begin with, was poorly maintained and existed mostly as a place to shortcut through on foot or a bike. They’re renovating it this year but so far it doesn’t look like it is changing very much. Even tiny Berczy Park was embarrassingly shabby until its recent renovation.

isaidso · #95 Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 3:33 AM**

Toronto

- large downtown park
- buried wiring
- an east/west subway south of Bloor/Danforth
- quality paving
- heated sidewalks
- a 2nd rail hub

mistercorporate · #96 Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 4:35 AM**

Toronto:

- east/west subway line that continues west of University avenue
- more quality water fountains instead of plain-jane parkettes.
- more trees for shade and privacy on main thoroughfares
- buried wiring

hipster duck · #97 Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy6

Toronto definitely lacks a substantial downtown park. All told, what the city has in the way of parks and gardens probably adds up to a lot, but it’s all peripheral. It always disappointed me that even Queen’s Park, which isn’t very big to begin with, was poorly maintained and existed mostly as a place to shortcut through on foot or a bike. They’re renovating it this year but so far it doesn’t look like it is changing very much. Even tiny Berczy Park was embarrassingly shabby until its recent renovation.

I agree with this. There are a few candidates for "great urban park" in Toronto, but there's always a major drawback:

Toronto Islands - too physically separated from the city
Trinity Bellwoods - just a smidge too small
High Park - too far west
Grange Park - too small; too hidden
The Don Valley Ravine system - too inaccessible
Garrison Common - not well known; too orphaned by infrastructure

rousseau · #98 Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 8:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Toronto Islands - too physically separated from the city

Wouldn't it be amazing of there was no airport there, and there was a grand bridge connecting Toronto Islands to the city proper? And if the Toronto Islands were a pedestrian paradise with high density commercial and residential structures built up around ample parkland? And if there was a bridge going across to the Portlands, too?

It would be amazing.

someone123 · #99 Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 8:15 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by megadude

Is there a major city that lacks an "official" or de facto official observation deck? As in a place that seeing the view of the city is the focus of the place or somewhere that is easily accessible? ... So what is there for EDM, WPG, HFX, etc?

It is not downtown but Halifax has an observation tower that was built in 1912. It might be unique in Canada and it is worth a visit (it's got Trafalgar-style lions, iron spiral staircases, and lots of small carvings and monuments inside):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF7AbNx26N4

There are also the various Citadel lookoffs which are similar to the Mount Royal lookoff. There are no 1970's transmission towers or revolving observation decks that are open to the public. Somebody proposed a mini CN tower style building for downtown Halifax around 2007 or so but it was never built.

wave46 · #**100** Posted **Oct 20, 2018, 8:21 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistercorporate

Toronto:

- east/west subway line that continues west of University avenue

The Bloor line?

Edit: nevermind. Forgot the University changes to Avenue Rd. north of Bloor.